SZA Denies Coachella Standby Rumors After Justin Bieber Performed at Festival

SZA is shutting down rumors that she was paid to serve as a last-minute replacement for Justin Bieber at Coachella 2026. The "Kill Bill" singer jumped into the Instagram comments to refute the claim, stating she was in New York at the time and had not been paid.

The post she responded to alleged she was "allegedly paid six figures to stay Coachella-ready in case Justin Bieber dropoff." SZA responded: "Lmao who made this up? I've seen this 4 times now. I'm in New York, no one paid me a dime. Wishing everyone the best."

No replacement was needed. Bieber headlined Coachella on Saturday, April 11, delivering an intimate concert that leaned heavily on his Swag era. Sources told Us Weekly that Bieber drove every detail of the production himself. "He's been involved in everything all along, from negotiating his own paycheck to working on the show's creative direction."

An insider told Us, "Justin is very proud of his Swag albums, so he wants to spotlight them, but he's also packing his set with old hits that he hasn't performed in years. He knows the crowd will want to hear those too."

Bieber opened with "All I Can Take" before spending the first 50 minutes largely in the Swag era, save for a surprise appearance from The Kid LAROI on "Stay." An acoustic section followed, during which Bieber performed an emotional, extended "Everything Hallelujah," adding the new line "Coachalla, hallelujah" while singing, "Hailey, baby, hallelujah / Baby Jack, hallelujah." Guests Tems, Wizkid, and Dijon also joined throughout the set, while celebrity fans, including Kylie Jenner and Katy Perry, were spotted in the crowd.

Bieber previously explained his vision for the set. "I'm gonna do the whole, both [Swag] projects, probably, and just find a way to, like, merge some of the old songs in where I can and, like, I haven't performed these songs live yet, and that'll be kind of the first time I really do them all live like that," said Bieber. He added that he's always "dreamed" of performing at Coachella since the desert is one of his "favorite places." "It like soothes the soul," said Bieber.

Elsewhere at the festival, Lambrini Girls withdrew from the lineup after vocalist Phoebe Lunny sustained a fractured neck and acute brain injury while in Australia. The injury was initially misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment, and doctors ordered Lunny not to fly or perform for at least six weeks. Bieber is set to headline Weekend 2 on April 18.